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Chapter 6
Communication and
Information Technology
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-1
LEARNING OUTLINE
Follow this Learning Outline as you read and study this chapter
• Understanding Communications
– Differentiate between interpersonal and
organizational communication
– Discuss the functions of communication
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-2
LEARNING OUTLINE (cont’d)
Follow this Learning Outline as you read and study this chapter
• Interpersonal Communication
– Explain all the components of the communication
process
– List the communication methods managers might use
– Describe nonverbal communication and how it takes
place
– Explain the barriers to effective interpersonal
communication and how to overcome them
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-3
LEARNING OUTLINE (cont’d)
Follow this Learning Outline as you read and study this chapter
• Organizational Communication
– Explain how communication can flow in an
organization
– Describe the three common communication
networks
– Discuss how managers should handle the
grapevine
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-4
LEARNING OUTLINE (cont’d)
Follow this Learning Outline as you read and study this chapter
• Understanding Information Technology
– Describe how technology affects managerial
communication
– Define electronic data interchange, teleconferencing,
videoconferencing, intranet, and extranet
– Explain how information technology affects
organizations
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-5
What Is Communication?
• Communication
– The transfer and understanding of meaning
– Interpersonal communication
• Communication between two or more people
– Organizational communication
• All the patterns, network, and systems of
communications within an organization
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-6
Functions of Communication
•
•
•
•
Control
Motivation
Emotional Expression
Information
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-7
Interpersonal Communication
• Message
– Source: sender’s intended meaning
• Encoding
– The message converted to symbolic form
• Channel
– The medium through which the message travels
• Decoding
– The receiver’s retranslation of the message
• Noise
– Disturbances that interfere with communications
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-8
Exhibit 6.1 The Interpersonal
Communication Process
Message
Channel
Decoding
Encoding
Sender
Receiver
Noise
Message
Feedback
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-9
Distortions in Communications
•
•
•
•
•
Sender
Message
Channel
Receiver
Feedback Loop
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-10
Channels for Communicating
Interpersonally
•
•
•
•
•
•
Feedback
Complexity capacity
Breadth potential
Confidentiality
Encoding ease
Decoding ease
• Time-space
constraint
• Cost
• Interpersonal warmth
• Formality
• Scanability
• Time of consumption
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-11
Fitting Communication with
Circumstances
Managers can use 12 questions to help them evaluate appropriate
communication methods for different circumstances.
1. Feedback. How quickly can the receiver respond to the message?
2. Complexity capacity. Can the method effectively process complex
messages?
3. Breadth potential. How many different messages can be transmitted
using this method?
4. Confidentiality. Can communicators be reasonably sure their messages
are received only by those for whom they’re intended?
5. Encoding ease. Can the sender easily and quickly use this channel?
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-12
Fitting Communication with
Circumstances (cont’d)
6. Decoding ease. Can the receiver easily and quickly decode messages?
7. Time–space constraint. Do senders and receivers need to communicate
at the same time and in the same space?
8. Cost. How much does it cost to use this method?
9. Interpersonal warmth. How well does this method convey
interpersonal warmth?
10. Formality. Does this method have the needed amount of formality?
11. Scanability. Does this method allow the message to be easily browsed
or scanned for relevant information?
12. Time of consumption. Does the sender or receiver exercise the most
control over when the message is dealt with?
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-13
Interpersonal Communication
Methods
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Face-to-face
Telephone
Group meetings
Formal presentations
Memos
Postal mail
Fax
Publications
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Bulletin boards
Audio-/videotapes
Hot lines
E-mail
Computer conference
Voice mail
Teleconference
Videoconference
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-14
Exhibit 6.2
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-15
Nonverbal Communication
• Communication that is transmitted without words
– Sounds
– Images
– Situational behaviours
– Clothing and physical surroundings
• Body language: gestures, facial expressions, and other
body movements that convey meaning
• Verbal intonation (paralinguistics): emphasis that a
speaker gives to certain words or phrases that conveys
meaning
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-16
Interpersonal Communication Barriers
National
Culture
Language
Filtering
Emotions
Interpersonal
Communication
Defensiveness
Information
Overload
Selective
Perception
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-17
Barriers to Effective Interpersonal
Communication
• Filtering
– The deliberate manipulation of information to make
it appear more favourable to the receiver
• Emotions
– Disregarding rational and objective thinking
processes and substituting emotional judgments
when interpreting messages
• Information Overload
– Being confronted with a quantity of information that
exceeds an individual’s capacity to process it
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-18
Barriers to Effective Interpersonal
Communication (cont’d)
• Selective Perception
– Individuals interpret “reality” based on their own
needs, motivations, experience, background, and
other personal characteristics
• Defensiveness
– When threatened, reacting in a way that reduces
the ability to achieve mutual understanding
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-19
Barriers to Effective Interpersonal
Communication (cont’d)
• Language
– The different meanings of and specialized ways
(jargon) in which senders use words can cause
receivers to misinterpret their messages
• National Culture
– Culture influences the form, formality, openness,
patterns, and use of information in
communications
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-20
Overcoming the Barriers to Effective
Interpersonal Communications
•
•
•
•
•
Use Feedback
Simplify Language
Listen Actively
Constrain Emotions
Watch Nonverbal Cues
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-21
Exhibit 6.3 Active Listening Behaviours
Avoid
interrupting
speaker
Paraphrase
Avoid distracting
actions or
gestures
Don't
overtalk
Active
Listening
Ask
questions
Be
empathetic
Make eye
contact
Exhibit affirmative
head nods and
appropriate facial
expressions
Source: Based on P.L. Hunsaker, Training in Management
Skills (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2001).
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-22
Types of Organizational
Communication
• Formal Communication
– Communication that follows the official chain of
command or is part of the communication required to
do one’s job
• Informal Communication
– Communication that is not defined by the
organization’s hierarchy
• Permits employees to satisfy their need for social
interaction
• Can improve an organization’s performance by creating
faster and more effective channels of communication
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-23
Direction of Communication Flow
• Downward
– Communications that flow from managers to
employees to inform, direct, coordinate, and
evaluate employees
• Upward
– Communications that flow from employees up to
managers to keep them aware of employee needs
and how things can be improved to create a
climate of trust and respect
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-24
Direction of Communication Flow
(cont’d)
• Lateral (Horizontal) Communication
– Communication that takes place among
employees on the same level in the organization
to save time and facilitate coordination
• Diagonal Communication
– Communication that cuts across both work areas
and organizational levels in the interest of
efficiency and speed
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-25
Suggestions for Giving Feedback
• Relate feedback to existing performance goals and clear
expectations
• Give specific feedback tied to observable behaviour or
measurable results
• Channel feedback toward key result areas
• Give feedback as soon as possible
• Give positive feedback for improvement, not just final
results
• Focus feedback on performance, not personalities
• Base feedback on accurate and credible information
Source: R. Kreitner and
A. Kinicki, Organizational
Behavior, 6th Ed. (New
York: McGraw Hill/Irwin,
2004), p. 335. Reprinted
by permission of McGraw
Hill Education.
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-26
Types of Communication Networks
• Chain Network
– Communication flows according to the formal chain
of command, both upward and downward
• Wheel Network
– All communication flows in and out through the
group leader (hub) to others in the group
• All-Channel Network
– Communication flows freely among all members of
the work team
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-27
Exhibit 6.4 Three Common Organizational
Communication Networks and How They Rate
on Effectiveness Criteria
Criteria
Speed
Accuracy
Emergence of leader
Member satisfaction
Chain
Wheel
All-Channel
Moderate
High
Moderate
Moderate
Fast
High
High
Low
Fast
Moderate
None
High
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-28
The Grapevine
• An informal organizational communication
network that is active in almost every
organization
– Provides a channel for issues not suitable for
formal communication channels
– The impact of information passed along the
grapevine can be countered by open and honest
communication with employees
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-29
Information Technology
• Benefits of Information Technology (IT)
– Increased ability to monitor individual and team
performance
– Better decision making based on more complete
information
– More collaboration and
sharing of information
– Greater accessibility
to co-workers
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-30
Information Technology (cont’d)
• Networked Computer Systems
– Linking individual computers to create an
organizational network for communication and
information sharing
•
•
•
•
•
•
E-mail
Instant messaging
Voice-mail and fax
Electronic data exchange (EDI)
Teleconferencing and videoconferencing
Intranets and extranets
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-31
Tips for Sending E-mails
• Always use the subject line
• Be careful using emoticons and acronyms for
business communication
• Write clearly and briefly
• Copy e-mails to others only if they really need
the information
• Sleep on angry e-mails before sending
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-32
Information Technology (cont’d)
• Types of Network Systems
– Intranet
• An internal network that uses Internet technology and is
accessible only to employees
– Extranet
• An internal network that uses Internet technology and
allows authorized users inside the organization to
communicate with certain outsiders, such as customers
and vendors
– Wireless capabilities
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-33
How IT Affects Organizations
• Removes the constraints of time and distance
– Allows widely dispersed employees to work together
• Provides for the sharing of information
– Increases effectiveness and efficiency
• Integrates decision making and work
– Provides more complete information and
participation for better decisions
• Creates problems of constant accessibility to
employees
– Blurs the line between work and personal lives
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Management, Fifth Canadian Edition
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Canada
6-34